Pager with built-in printer

ABSTRACT

A digital pager has a built-in printer to enable the printing of a text message and/or a graphic image upon a page as the pager housing traverses the page. The pager can be maintained compact and lightweight as no paper storage or paper feed mechanism need be provided.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The following invention relates to pager technology. More particularly,though not exclusively, the invention relates to a pager having abuilt-in printer. Such a printer might be a drop-on-demand inkjetprinter utilizing a fixed printhead system.

BACKGROUND

Known pagers have a display panel upon which messages are displayed.However, no means of conveniently producing a print-out of the messageis heretofore known.

The mere incorporation into a pager housing of a known printer devicewould not result in a compact, easily portable pager. This is becauseprior art printers incorporate a supply of print media and employ aprint media feed mechanism to transport the print media past theprintheads to effect printing onto the print media. Such known printers,having a supply of print media, are large and heavier than would bedesirable in a portable pager.

CO-PENDING APPLICATIONS

Various methods, systems and apparatus relating to the present inventionare disclosed in the following co-pending applications filed by theapplicant or assignee of the present invention simultaneously with thepresent application: AP39 AP43 AP44 AP46 AP47 AP48 AP49 AP50 AP51 AP52AP53 AP55 AP58 AP60 AP61 AP62 AP63 AP64 AP65 AP66 AP67 AP68 AP69 AP70AP71 AP77 AP78 AP79

The disclosures of these co-pending applications are incorporated hereinby cross-reference. Each application is temporarily identified by itsfile reference. This will be replaced by the corresponding PCTApplication Number when available. RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS ANDPATENTS US6,227,652 US6,213,588 US6,213,589 US6,231,163 US6,247,795US6,394,581 US6,244,691 US6,257,704 US6,416,168 US6,220,694 US6,257,705US6,247,794 US6,234,610 US6,247,793 US6,264,306 US6,241,342 US6,247,792US6,264,307 US6,254,220 US6,234,611 US6,302,528 US6,283,582 US6,239,821US6,338,547 US6,247,796 US09/113,122 US6,390,603 US6,362,843 US6,293,653US6,312,107 US6,227,653 US6,234,609 US6,238,040 US6,188,415 US6,227,654US6,209,989 US6,247,791 US6,336,710 US6,217,153 US6,416,167 US6,243,113US6,283,581 US6,247,790 US6,260,953 US6,267,469 US6,273,544 US6,309,048US6,420,196 US6,443,558 US09/422,892 US6,378,989 US09/425,420US09/422,893 US09/609,140 US6,409,323 US6,281,912 US09/575,113US6,318,920 US6,488,422 US09/693,644 US6,457,810 US6,485,135US09/112,763 US6,331,946 US6,246,970 US6,442,525 US09/505,951US09/505,147 US09/505,952 US09/575,108 US09/575,109 US09/575,110US09/607,985 US6,398,332 US6,394,573 US09/606,999 US6,238,044US6,425,661 US6,390,605 US6,322,195 US09/504,221 US6,480,089 US6,460,778US6,305,788 US6,426,014 US6,364,453 US6,457,795 US09/556,219US09/556,218 US6,315,399 US6,338,548 US09/575,190 US6,328,431US6,328,425 US09/575,127 US6,383,833 US6,464,332 US6,390,591US09/575,152 US6,328,417 US6,322,194 US09/575,177 US09/575,175US6,417,757 US09/608,780 US6,428,139 US09/607,498 US09/693,079US09/693,135 US6,428,142 US09/692,813 US09/693,319 US09/693,311US6,439,908 US09/693,735 PCT/AU98/00550 PCT/AU00/ PCT/AU00/00517PCT/AU00/00511 PCT/AU00/00754 00516 PCT/AU00/00756 PCT/AU00/00757PCT/AU00/00095 PCT/AU00/ PCT/AU00/00338 PCT/AU00/00339 PCT/AU00/0034000755 PCT/AU00/00581 PCT/AU00/00580 PCT/AU00/00582 PCT/AU00/PCT/AU00/00588 PCT/AU00/00589 PCT/AU00/00583 00172 PCT/AU00/00590PCT/AU00/00591 PCT/AU00/00592 PCT/AU00/ PCT/AU00/00585 PCT/AU00/00586PCT/AU00/00749 00341 PCT/AU00/00751 PCT/AU00/00752 PCT/AU01/01332PCT/AU00/ PCT/AU00/01513 PCT/AU00/01514 PCT/AU00/01515 00587PCT/AU00/01517 PCT/AU00/01512 PCT/AU01/00502 PCT/AU00/ PCT/AU00/00333PCT/AU01/00141 PCT/AU01/00139 00593 PCT/AU00/00753 PCT/AU01/01321PCT/AU01/01322 PCT/AU00/ PCT/AU00/00594 PCT/AU00/00595 PCT/AU00/0059600584 PCT/AU00/00598 PCT/AU00/00741 PCT/AU00/00742 PCT/AU00/ 00750PCT/AU01/ 01318 PCT/AU00/ 01516 PCT/AU02/ 01120 PCT/AU01/ 00140PCT/AU01/ 01323 PCT/AU00/ 00597

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention there is disclosed apager comprising:

-   -   a housing;    -   a digital storage device adapted to store one or both of text        and image data received by the pager;    -   a printer located within the housing and configured to:        -   (a) receive digital information from the digital storage            device; and        -   (b) print one or both of text and an image on print media            external to the printer as the housing traverses said print            media.

Preferably, the pager further comprises an antenna via which one or bothof said text data and said image data is received.

Preferably, said printer comprises a drop-on-demand color inkjetprinthead.

Preferably, the housing has located therein a replaceable ink cartridgecommunicating with the printhead.

Preferably, the pager has located within the housing a speed sensorincluding an optical encoder wheel adapted to contact the print mediaand to rotate as the housing traverses the print media, said opticalencoder wheel including a series of circumferential spaced markingsthereon, the speed sensor further including an optical sensor fordetecting the markings as said markings pass the optical sensor duringrotation of the optical encoder wheel.

Preferably, the circumferential spacing between successive markings onthe optical encoder wheel is substantially equal to the spacing betweensuccessive print lines in at least one of the text and the image beingprinted by the printhead.

Preferably, detection of a marking on said encoder wheel by the opticalsensor triggers the printing of a next line of one or both of text dataand image data.

Preferably, the pager further includes a power supply located withinsaid housing. More preferably, the power supply includes a batteryremovable from the pager.

Preferably, the pager further comprises a display screen adapted todisplay one or both of the text and the image.

Preferably, the pager further comprises user operable buttons forcontrolling said printer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by wayof example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective illustration of a pager having abuilt-in printer, in use traversing a page to print an image thereon;

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a pager;

FIG. 3 is a schematic inverted perspective view of the pager of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the pager of FIGS. 2and 3;

FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of the pager;

FIG. 6 is a schematic side elevational view of the pager;

FIG. 7 is a schematic front elevational view of the pager;

FIG. 8 is a schematic inverted plan view of the pager; and

FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view of the pager with a back coverremoved.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted apager 10 having a built-in printer, having almost completely traversed apage of print media 12 to print an image 11 thereon. The pager 10 is ahand-held device that is sized and shaped to fit easily within thepocket or purse, for example, of a user.

As shown in FIG. 2, the housing of pager 10 includes a plastics topmolding 13 and a base molding 14. The top molding 13 has a displaywindow 23, a pair of scroll buttons 21, a YES/GO button 15 and a NO/STOPbutton 16.

At the bottom edge of the housing of the pager 10 there is provided anoptical encoder wheel 18, an idler wheel 20 and a printhead 19therebetween. Operation of the printhead, the optical encoder wheel andassociated internal componentry can be found in our co-pendingapplication (docket AP46) entitled “Manually Operable Printer-Scanner”.Although the printing mechanism utilized in the present invention mightbe identical to that disclosed in the co-pending application (docketAP46), other forms of small, lightweight printers (yet to be developed)that can print on print media external to the pager housing 10 can beemployed.

As shown in FIG. 3, the base molding 14 has associated therewith abattery/ink cartridge cover molding 17. This would typically residealongside the printhead 11 as shown

An exploded perspective view of the pager is shown in FIG. 4. Beneaththe top molding 13, there is provided an elastomeric button molding 22to cover the electrical switches of the scroll buttons 21, the YES/GObutton 15 and the NO/STOP button 16.

Situated beneath the display window 23, there is provided a liquidcrystal display (LCD) 24. LCD 24 is attached to a printed circuit board25 behind which there is located electronics 29. Power to the printedcircuit board 25 and LCD 24 is from a battery 30 via battery contacts28. Battery 30 might typically be an AAA sized battery. The batterymight typically be rechargeable.

Also located within the pager housing and associated with the printhead9 is a flexible printed circuit board 27 which contacts with the printedcircuit board 25 to provide control signals and power to the printhead19.

Also associated with the printhead 19 is an ink connector 26 to receiveink from an ink cartridge 32. A question/answer (QA) chip 31 on the inkcartridge 32 makes contact with the underside of ink connector 26 toindicate that the cartridge is present If the cartridge is absent, adisplay warning might be sent to the LCD 24.

Details of the electronics 29 can be better seen in FIG. 9. That is,attached to the underside of PCB 25 is a printer chip 35 serving to thecontrol the operation of the printhead 19 and perhaps to store digitalimage data to be printed. However, the digital data might be stored onanother chip or chips or might be stored on a memory card or otherstorage unit. The flex PCB 27 is shown attached to PCB 25 in thisfigure. A coin battery 36 such as a lithium ion battery is also attachedto the PCB 25. This might serve to maintain any memory data when themain battery 30 is removed or drained. An antenna 37 associated with thepager unit is also depicted. Also associated with the pager unit is avibrating magnet 33 and a speaker 34. Features 33, 34 and 37 will not bedescribed in detail as they can be standard pager components.

In use, the pager unit receives messages via the antenna 37 whereuponthe speaker 34 makes a tone and/or the vibrating magnet 33 vibrates thepager to indicate that a message has been received. The message can beviewed through the display window 23 upon manipulation of buttons 21.Software controlling the LCD can display a print option whereupon theYES/GO button 15 can be depressed to initiate a printing mode, or theNO/STOP button 16 can be pressed if a print-out is not required.

Apart from text messages, the pager might receive a graphic image. Textand/or a graphic image can be printed upon the sheet of print media 12by grasping the pager unit 10 and rolling it across the page withoptical encoder wheel 18 and idler wheel 20 in contact therewith. Whenthe unit is drawn across the page, the printhead 19 deposits droplets ofink upon the page to produce the image 11. The image 11 can be monchromeor color, depending on the type of printhead employed and theconfiguration of the ink cartridge and ink delivery means. For colorprinting, multiple-color inks can be employed and the printhead ofcross-referenced application AP46 can be employed.

1. A pager comprising: a housing; a digital storage device adapted to store one or both of text and image data received by the pager, a printer located within the housing and configured to: (a) receive digital information from the digital storage device; and (b) print one or both of text and an image on print media external to the printer as the housing traverses said print media.
 2. The pager of claim 1 further comprising an antenna via which one or both of said text data and said image data is received.
 3. The pager of claim 1 wherein said printer comprises a drop-on-demand color inkjet printhead.
 4. The pager of claim 3 wherein the housing has located therein a replaceable ink cartridge communicating with the printhead.
 5. The pager of claim 1 having located within the housing a speed sensor including an optical encoder wheel adapted to contact the print media and to rotate as the housing traverses the print media, said optical encoder wheel including a series of circumferential spaced markings thereon, the speed sensor further including an optical sensor for detecting the markings as said markings pass the optical sensor during rotation of the optical encoder wheel.
 6. The pager according to claim 5 wherein the circumferential spacing between successive markings on the optical encoder wheel is substantially equal to the spacing between successive print lines in at least one of the text and the image being printed by the printhead.
 7. The pager of claim 5 wherein detection of a marking on said encoder wheel by the optical sensor triggers the printing of a next line of one or both of text data and image data.
 8. The pager of claim 1 further including a power supply located within said housing.
 9. The pager of claim 8 wherein the power supply includes a battery removable from the pager.
 10. The pager according to claim 1 further comprising a display screen adapted to display one or both of the text and the image.
 11. The pager according to claim 1 further comprising user operable buttons for controlling said printer. 